large portions of other chapters or resources, individual chapters will still contain
references to other chapters or appendices in this Handbook and to other resources.
The book is organized into six parts:
Part I: General Refinery Processes and Operations
This part describes crude oil and the processes used to convert it to finished
products along with the design and operation of these processes.
Included here are
• A general understanding of crude and crude properties
• An understanding of products and their important properties
• How a refinery is configured to match the desired crudes and markets
• Detailed discussions of the processes, design, and operation of crude and vacuum distillation units, light ends processing, catalytic reforming, fluid catalytic
cracking, hydroprocessing, alkylation, olefin condensation, isomerization, gas
treating, residual oil upgrading, and hydrogen production
• How product qualities are specified, measured, and controlled
• Techniques for planning refinery operations and economic analyses
• How a petroleum processing project is executed
Part II: Variations
Today’s petroleum processing facility typically runs or handles more than just
traditional crude oil and may make more than just fuel products.
This part of the Handbook explores facilities that make
• Lube oils
• Petrochemicals
• Other chemicals
It also provides insights into nonconventional feedstocks which find their way into
the processing scheme or are processed somewhat like petroleum, e.g., coal and
gas liquids, shale oil, shale crude, bitumens, and renewable stocks.
One chapter discusses biorefineries, which are increasingly providing fuels and fuel
blend stocks.
Part III: Support Systems
All process facilities need certain common support systems. These are discussed in
some detail in Part III, along with many design and operating techniques.
Included here are discussions of
• Instrumentation and control systems
• Utilities (steam, condensate, fuel, water, air, power, nitrogen, others)
• Off-site facilities (storage, blending, loading, waste hydrocarbons, wastewater)
• Environmental controls and practices (air emissions, aqueous effluents, solid
wastes, noise)
Part IV: Safety Systems
Today, it is an absolute requirement that process facilities operate safely. Facilities
must not endanger employees or the community. Facilities that cannot do this
vi
Preface to the Second Edition
references to other chapters or appendices in this Handbook and to other resources.
The book is organized into six parts:
Part I: General Refinery Processes and Operations
This part describes crude oil and the processes used to convert it to finished
products along with the design and operation of these processes.
Included here are
• A general understanding of crude and crude properties
• An understanding of products and their important properties
• How a refinery is configured to match the desired crudes and markets
• Detailed discussions of the processes, design, and operation of crude and vacuum distillation units, light ends processing, catalytic reforming, fluid catalytic
cracking, hydroprocessing, alkylation, olefin condensation, isomerization, gas
treating, residual oil upgrading, and hydrogen production
• How product qualities are specified, measured, and controlled
• Techniques for planning refinery operations and economic analyses
• How a petroleum processing project is executed
Part II: Variations
Today’s petroleum processing facility typically runs or handles more than just
traditional crude oil and may make more than just fuel products.
This part of the Handbook explores facilities that make
• Lube oils
• Petrochemicals
• Other chemicals
It also provides insights into nonconventional feedstocks which find their way into
the processing scheme or are processed somewhat like petroleum, e.g., coal and
gas liquids, shale oil, shale crude, bitumens, and renewable stocks.
One chapter discusses biorefineries, which are increasingly providing fuels and fuel
blend stocks.
Part III: Support Systems
All process facilities need certain common support systems. These are discussed in
some detail in Part III, along with many design and operating techniques.
Included here are discussions of
• Instrumentation and control systems
• Utilities (steam, condensate, fuel, water, air, power, nitrogen, others)
• Off-site facilities (storage, blending, loading, waste hydrocarbons, wastewater)
• Environmental controls and practices (air emissions, aqueous effluents, solid
wastes, noise)
Part IV: Safety Systems
Today, it is an absolute requirement that process facilities operate safely. Facilities
must not endanger employees or the community. Facilities that cannot do this
vi
Preface to the Second Edition